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Archive for February, 2009

February Budget Surplus

February 3rd, 2009 at 05:38 am

So after finalizing my January numbers it turns out that we actually spent $314 more than we took in (I originally thought this number was ~$240 but forgot to enter a receipt for my son's baseball cleats and a few other things).

My February budget surplus as it stands now is $993, so if I subtract out my January overage, my surplus is actually $681; that means we have $681 to spend on non-mandatory expenses. Assuming I budgeted correctly, and I believe I did, the only variable will be my husband's paycheck which will be lower because he is now contributing to his 403b plan. I've estimated his lower paycheck in my budget but I won't know for sure what the exact dollar amount will be until he gets paid on Friday.

I hope that we do well so I can put whatever surplus is left at the end of the month into our emergency fund.

Emergency Binder

February 2nd, 2009 at 07:46 pm

This post isn't necessarily about saving money but it is financially related in that it will make your lives much easier in the event of a disaster or emergency.

I created what I call an Emergency Binder after Hurricane Katrina. I live in Earthquake country and so the possibility of a disaster is very real, only we won't have advance notice.

I copied ALL of my important papers and documents and put them in a red binder. I have copies of our homeowner's and auto policies, copies of our drivers licenses, passports, birth certificates, marriage certificate, even baptismal certificates. I also have copies of our social security cards, copy of the deed to our house, pink slips, and even info on the dog's shots in the event we need to go to a shelter, I can prove that his shots are up to date.

I also have a sheet of info that lists every credit card we have, account numbers and customer service phone numbers. I also list bank account info, brokerage account info, insurance info (policy nos. and agent phone nos.), Doctor/Dentist info, medical numbers, Vet information, the dog's microchip info, etc etc.

Setting up my binder took a little bit of time but it is well worth. If I ever need it I will have it. I do need to make an additional copy and store it somewhere other than my house (probably my mom's) in the God forsaken event that our house burns down.

I update it periodically as we switch insurers or other information changes.

One last thing, I read this online when figuring out how to set-up an emergency supply kit. If you have pets, keep a recent picture of the pet with a family member so that you can prove that the pet is yours in the event that you and your pet are separated in a disaster. I have a picture of our dog with my 2 kids.